


Lover's Festival

by HylianDerp



Series: A Royal Match [10]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Holidays, M/M, Niflheim Prince Prompto Argentum, Prompto Argentum Has ADHD, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Trans Noctis Lucis Caelum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28765665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HylianDerp/pseuds/HylianDerp
Summary: The Lover's Festival is fast approaching. What are Noctis and Prompto's holiday plans?
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Aranea Highwind, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum, Ravus Nox Fleuret/Ignis Scientia
Series: A Royal Match [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2082525
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey Prom, does Niflheim celebrate the Lover’s Festival?” Prompto looked up from his phone to find Noct’s knees a scant few inches from his nose. Huh, there’s a scar on his right knee. He’d never noticed that before. The things he learned from sitting upside-down. Oh, right, question.

“Of course we do. I don’t know of any cultures who don’t.” Noctis flopped down next to him, leaning against his legs. He looked surprisingly thoughtful. Noct didn’t like having to put effort into things when he wasn’t actively performing his princely duties. “Why do you ask?”

“Since you moved here, we’ve done all sorts of Lucian holidays and traditions, which I guess makes sense, but we haven’t done any of the stuff you grew up with. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Not really,” Prompto shrugged. “My life in Niflheim wasn’t that amazing. If I wasn’t being trotted out for public appearances, I was pretty much ignored. Grandfather never really gave the impression that he cared about me as more than just a means to an end.”

“Dude, that sucks. Now I want to try even harder to set up Lover’s Festival stuff you’ll like.”

“Hmm… I guess we could do a Niflheimr-style Lover’s Festival. You aren’t going to drag me to the Temple of Shiva for the entirety of Lover’s Eve like Luna does, are you?”

Noct looked disgusted at the idea. “Ew, no. Because we’re royalty, we’ll be expected to attend the one-hour-long service at the Grand Temple a couple blocks from the Citadel, because public appearances and all, but it’s not nearly as stuffy as the Tenebraen version. We just sing a couple of songs, listen to the story of Ifrit and Shiva, do the whole ice wine thing, and then we’re done. The rest of the day is just standard family gathering type stuff; same as the rest of the populace, except with probably fancier food. Usually ends up being my dad and me, the Amicitias, and Ignis. His uncle was invited when we were kids, but that kind of fell off by the time Specs was in high school. 

“What did you do in Niflheim?” Prompto finally sat upright. He had to think about it for a moment. Had there been anything consistent about his Lover’s Festival traditions other than being mostly ignored?

“We weren’t expected to go to the Temple or anything; Niflheim was pretty secular. Very few people celebrate the Festival because they believe that the Astrals exist. It’s treated as more of an excuse to spend time with family and indulge in treats. There were always State dinners, which I was usually expected to attend. There were a couple years that the cooks let me hang out with them, so they taught me to make the pirozhki and pelmeni we’d eat. Otherwise, I just kinda sat around and played video games or watched TV, because it wasn’t like I had anybody to spend time with.” 

Suddenly, Prompto found himself flat on his back on his fiance’s couch, said fiance atop him with his arms around his neck. “Nobody should be lonely during Lover’s Festival,” Noct murmured. “As long as we’re together, I won’t let you be lonely again.”

* * *

Prompto couldn’t imagine how Noctis could function without Ignis around. Just for their Festival preparations, Noctis was full of too many ideas and not enough actionable plans. Poor Iggy had to rein the excitable Lucian prince in and form the actual plans; he had to look for florists who could import lingonberry branches, plan several menus, procure enough paper for the younger members of the group to make their own snowflake decorations (and look up a few patterns for the more complex styles), and make sure that at least four schedules aligned-- all on top of his usual duties! Once the Festival season was over, Prompto was going to need to find a way to convince Ignis to take a vacation. Maybe persuade him to go visit Ravus?

One afternoon when everyone was free, Noctis, Prompto, Ignis, Gladio, and Iris congregated in the living room of Noct’s suite. When Prompto walked in, he could smell Ignis’s famous cardamom shortbreads baking and fresh coffee brewing. There were scissors, paper, and glue stacked on the coffee table, a fire crackling merrily in the fireplace, and festive music softly playing in the background. It was practically a holiday special!

Prompto, Noctis, and Iris sat down around the coffee table, chatting and making paper snowflakes. Ignis and Gladio watched fondly, unused to seeing the princely duo indulge themselves in such mundane delights. The cookies Ignis had baked were cooling before their chocolate orange dip could be applied, but the coffee (and cocoa for Iris) was ready to serve.

“How are you kids doing,” Gladio asked, setting a few mugs down for the busy crafters.

“How many times do I gotta tell you, I’m not a kid!” Prompto squawked. Gladio responded by mussing his hair.

“Like I said, as long as I call Noct ‘kid,’ you’re getting the same treatment.” Prompto grumbled into his coffee while the other two laughed. Stupid Lucians ganging up on him. He was 23, dang it! Oh well, he guessed this was what he signed up for when he offered himself as Noct’s marriage option. And besides, wasn’t that part of having a family, being subjected to lighthearted teasing? It was certainly new to him, but he couldn’t say he was truly offended.

Once Ignis’s shortbreads were finished, he and Gladio properly joined the rest of the group. He pulled out a pattern for one of the more complex star shapes and set to work. After a moment of watching, Iris joined in, leaving the rowdier boys to continue on their more free-form flat shapes. Or, more accurately, to throw the scraps of paper on each other like confetti.

“Are you two quite done making a mess of the living room?” Oops, Ignis seemed a little irritated. Prompto hopped up and collected the finished decorations before wandering the room, haphazardly hanging snowflakes and laying out lingonberry boughs. Noctis seemed less concerned, merely flopping backwards into the mess, limbs starfished out.

Gladio snorted. “Making snow angels down there, Princess?” 

Noctis kicked at him in response. “Quit calling me that when we’re not sparring! You know how much I hate it…”

Gladio had the good sense to look abashed. “Sorry, Noct, bad habit.” 

Prompto watched the interaction with confusion. Why would that be the line for teasing?

“Wait, why is it a habit to call him ‘princess’?” 

Ignis shot Noctis a strange look. “Did you not tell him?”

“I assumed he already knew!” He replied.

“Know what? Is there something I should be worried about?” Prompto could feel his anxiety building.

It was Noct’s turn to be embarrassed. “How much did you hear about me before you got here?”

“Honestly? Not a lot. The enforced seclusion kinda went both ways. If I don’t know what’s actually happening in Lucis, that makes it that much harder for me to realize just how weird and messed up my upbringing actually was…”

Noct cringed in sympathy. “Right. Well, you know what the term ‘transgender’ means?”

“Yep! I want to say one of the officers I saw a lot is trans. I don’t remember super well.”

Prompto paused for a second, absorbing the actual conversation. “Wait… are you saying that you’re trans? Have I been misgendering you this whole time?”

Noctis laughed. “Nah, you’re fine. You’ve been here for more than half a year; if something was going to come up, I’m sure it would have by now, and do you really think I’d let something like that slide?” Prompto nodded, relieved.

Ignis interrupted Prom’s ping-ponging thoughts. “Well, now that we’ve all gotten a dose of panic for the evening, who would like some cocoa? I also have peppermint schnapps for the boys.” 

Iris groaned. “Why can’t I have any? I know that you and Gladdy drank when you were 18, why can’t I?”

“Just because we did dumb shit, doesn’t mean we’re gonna let you, kiddo,” Gladio responded. “Anyway, who wants to hang up the main star?”

* * *

The evening before the Lover’s Festival, Ignis did something unprecedented: he invited Prompto to join him in the Citadel’s kitchens. Prom was excited; he was finally getting to show off the best of the kind of food he grew up with!

“So Prompto, you said you’ve made some of this food before?” Ignis asked.

“Uh, kinda? I wasn’t old enough to be trusted at the stove, so I didn’t really cook anything. I got to help assemble pirozhki and pelmeni, and the chefs let me put the lussekatter ingredients into the mixing bowls…”

“Then let’s start on the lussekatter, since it’ll need to prove.” Ignis led the pair through preparing their holiday menu, from the borscht and mushroom-potato pirozhki for that night, to the sochivo for breakfast the next morning, to the pelmeni and lussekatter for the evening. No wonder Ignis spent so much of his time in the kitchen: cooking was hard work, and took a long time! His feet were starting to ache from standing for so long, he had flour on his shirt, and his fingers were dyed red from the beetroot. How did Ignis still look so put-together, without a single hair out of place? No wonder he and Ravus were so happy together; they were both practically superhuman in their meticulousness!

Once finished, they brought the borscht and pirozhki up to the sitting room the royal family was using for their festivities. The stars and lingonberries had already been transplanted from Noct’s living room, and a fireplace had already been lit. The pair was greeted by both of the Lucis Caelums and all three Amicitias. Iris practically tripped over herself in her excitement to see the food that she had to eat. Noctis, however, was less enthused.

“You said that these are vegetarian?”

“Yes. It’s traditional not to eat any meat on the eve of the Lover’s festival. You should be okay with the pirozhki, though, it’s mostly potato.”

Ignis interrupted the conversation with Noct’s worst nightmare. “You will be expected to eat at least some of the borscht. We can’t have you dying of scurvy, now, can we?” Noct groaned. As far as he was concerned, the borscht didn’t smell like food; the earthiness reminded him more of the mud at the banks of his favorite fishing pond.

After everyone had eaten and socialized to their satisfaction, the party broke up to their individual rooms, anticipating an early morning. The princes chose to spend their night together; the closeness seemed appropriate for the holiday spirit.

When morning came, Noctis thoroughly regretted the decision.

“Wake up, wake up, there’s things to do, people to see, food to eat! And it’s the dishes you’ll actually like today!” Prompto bounced on the bed like an excited puppy. Which, while adorable, did not really help Noct’s sour morning mood. He blindly swatted at his puppy of a fiance. “Oof, Noct, cut it out! Iggy’s here, and he’s got cocoa for you already!”

Eventually, the grumpy Lucian managed to extricate himself from the bed. It wasn’t nearly as cozy without Prompto’s warmth, after all. He padded out to his living room to find Gladio making himself at home.

“‘Sup, Noct? Prom finally drag your ass out of bed?” Noct ignored him in favor of shuffling into the kitchen to collect the fabled cocoa. Once he had a bit of sugar in him, he realized that there was something simmering on the stove. It looked like some sort of oatmeal-like thing.

“What is this?” 

Prompto was the first to answer. “It’s called sochivo. It’s wheat porridge with honey, poppy seeds, and walnuts. I’ve never started a Lover’s Festival without it.” Noctis still looked skeptical, but if it was something Prompto wanted, then he supposed he’d eat it. Ah, the things he’d do for love.

Once everybody had eaten their fill, they prepared to head to the Grand Temple. Prompto might not have gone most years, but at least it was a shorter service than the one he had to go to when he visited the Nox Fleurets one year, and he got to wear less restrictive clothing besides. Even with a less miserable service, he still couldn’t keep his focus. He was too excited to show Noctis the rest of the food that he grew up with and spend time with people who actually wanted to spend time with him!

Finally, after a ceremonial sip of ice wine, the service ended, and Prompto could escape the public eye. He desperately needed to burn off some extra energy. Maybe Aranea would be willing to spar with him for a little while? She didn’t have anybody to spend the day with; Gladio was with the rest of the local royalty. He pulled out his phone.

[Prom-pom: Hey, Nea! Are you free for an hour or so?]

[Dragon Lady: Sure, kid, what’s up?]

[Prom-pom: Astral worship services are the MOST boring. Can we spar so I can let off some steam?]

[Dragon Lady: Crownsguard training hall. 20 minutes]

[Prom-pom: Thank you!]

After Prompto had sparred and showered, he found himself back in the king’s sitting room, this time with the smell of saffron greeting him. Ignis must have been reheating the lussekatter. Within moments, he found himself surrounded in hugs from both Iris and Noctis.

“Happy Festival!” Iris crowed. Usually, Prompto appreciated her exuberance, but he was still recovering from his workout. Luckily, she retreated quickly after he returned her greeting.

He found himself melting into Noct’s embrace. “Missed you,” Noct purred.

“It’s been an hour and a half, dork.”

“Then an hour and a half too long. You’re supposed to spend the Lover’s Festival with your loved ones, you know.”

“Then shouldn’t Aranea be here? She and I have been friends for years, and then there’s her thing with Gladio…”

Noctis laughed. “I’m not sure friends with benefits is quite what people traditionally mean, but okay.”

Prompto suddenly heard a sharp laugh. He whipped his head around to the source of the noise.

“Aranea! You’re here too?”   
  
“Of course I am, Shortcake. Did you think I was going to sit around alone in my room all day?”

“Uh… I hadn’t really thought about what you’d be doing. I’m glad you’re here, though. We were aiming to recreate all the best parts of my Niflheimr Lover’s Festivals, and you’re one of them.”

Somebody cleared their throat pointedly; probably Gladio. “Well if you dorks are done being sappy, Ignis has pelmeni and lussekatter for everyone.” The trio laughed, joining the rest of the party in enjoying the Niflheimr treats.

Late in the evening, while everybody congregated near the fire, Ignis snuck into the fridge, pulling out a surprise for Prompto. He walked over to the table in the center of the group, setting down the final treat: an Ifrit’s Log! Prompto gasped, trying desperately not to cry in overwhelmed joy. He never expected to see such an intricately decorated cake made specifically for him. 

“Oh my gods, Ignis, how did you do this? It’s incredible!”

Ignis chuckled. “I had some help, of course. The Citadel staffs master bakers and pastry chefs, you know. I merely told them the design I wanted and gave them the undecorated log. So if the flavor comes out horrible, don’t blame them.”

“I don’t think you could make something that tastes bad. And it’s not like I have a great frame of reference. I only had one; they were a rarity saved for nobility, and they weren’t going to make an entire one just for me when I usually celebrated alone.”

Prompto found himself encased in a group hug again, this time including Aranea and Gladio, alongside the more expected Noctis and Iris. He snuggled into their embrace. Prompto guessed that this was what family was supposed to be like.

“Thank you guys for all of this. This is absolutely the nicest Lover’s Festival I’ve ever had.”

Noctis nuzzled harder against him. “You deserve the best.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The holiday traditions and foods for this are based on Russian and Swedish Christmas traditions. However, I am neither Russian nor Swedish, so there may be errors and inconsistencies.


	2. Bonus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Once everybody else heads home for the evening, Prompto and Noctis have a conversation about how transitioning works (at least for Noctis).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place the evening immediately after everyone makes decorations.

Noct’s suite was covered in paper stars and bits of homemade “confetti,” but that only went so far in soothing Prompto’s anxiety. He found himself nervously tugging on the hem of his thick sweater.

“Okay, now that we’re alone, I have a dumb question for you…”

Noctis looked at him with the blandest expression known to mankind. “Go for it.”

“Uh, how did I miss that you’re trans? We’ve been in a relationship for what? Seven months now?”   
  


“Eight, actually.”   
  
Prompto scoffed. “Oh, yeah, because that’s so much better.”

“Dork. Anyway, to answer your question, I transitioned early enough that my chest never really developed, so nobody looks at me twice with my shirt off, and we’ve kept our pants on whenever we’re together.”   
  
“But I’ve felt your junk before!”   
  
Noctis struggled not to laugh at Prompto’s confusion. “Have you ever heard of a packer? I basically have a prosthetic that I stick in my underwear. That’s what you’ve felt.”   
  
“I guess that would make sense. But wait, I’ve seen pretty much every inch of your apartment, and the only meds of yours that I’ve seen are your antidepressants. How does that work?”

“Oh. Right. Give me your hand.” Noctis brought Prompto’s hands to his hip, and gently pressed them into the skin just above the curve of his pelvic bone.

“What are those bumps?”

“Pellets. They slowly release testosterone over several months so I don’t have to fuss with daily gels or weekly shots anymore. Ignis actually suggested it, since I’m kind of notorious for forgetting to take my meds, and forgetting my hormones makes me more depressed.”

Prompto was in awe. Lucian technology still managed to surprise him, even after all this time. “Whoa, that’s cool. Does anything else use that same method? Slow release meds like that would be super useful for a lot of people. I wonder how Niflheim would react to it...”

Noct scrunched up one side of his face in exaggerated concentration. “Uh… I think it’s mostly for hormones. I’m pretty sure there’s a couple kinds of contraceptives that use plastic implants that release hormones for that? I’m not sure what else. You’d have to ask a doctor, or at least someone better at biology than I am. I was always better at physics; I can plug numbers into an equation, but trying to remember enzymes and cofactors and shit? Forget it.” Prompto chuckled; that certainly sounded like Noctis.

“Thank you for telling me. I know that that’s all super personal.”   
  
“Of course. I trust you to not be a jerk about it, and it’s something that would probably be in your best interest to know before too long. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to keep my pants on with you forever!” Prompto burst out laughing. That was certainly one way to brighten the mood.


End file.
